Raising Certification Awareness

BOSTON – At the New England Grows conference, the Massachusetts Arborists Association (MAA) and Associated Landscape Contractors of Massachusetts (ALCM) announced a new marketing program to help educate property owners in the Bay State about the importance of hiring certified professionals to care for their trees and landscapes.

The focus of the marketing program is a new customer-driven Web site, www.certifiedtreeandlawn.org. The group designed the site to help prospective customers locate certified tree and landscape professionals. They plan to use radio and print advertising and public relations outreach to drive program awareness and to direct prospects to the site.

Web site visitors can search a database of more than 1,200 Bay State MCA and MCLP professionals who can help maintain their trees and landscapes. The site also offers information on the specialized services available for certified professionals – from emergency tree care, pruning and tree evaluation to irrigation, stone work and water gardens.

Grounded in nearly two years of consumer research and strategic development, the program was born out of learning that consumers currently have little awareness of the certification process for landscape and tree professionals, and do not understand the reasons why they should consider hiring a certified professional, says MAA and ALCM Executive Director Virginia Wood. “Through this easy-to-use interface, consumers will find the certified professionals who best fit their needs while we promote the highest standards in tree and landscape care,” Wood explains.

Also, industry veteran Roger Cook, best known as the landscape contractor featured on PBS’s This Old House, will provide an expert voice for the associations’ program and help boost its recognition. Cook holds both MCA (Massachusetts Certified Arborist) and MCLP (Massachusetts Certified Landscape Professional) designations and is a member of MAA and ALCM.

The author is managing editor of Lawn & Landscape magazine and can be reached at nwisniewski@lawnandlandscape.com.